DDR My DDR awards

[Hauptmann]

Dr. Theodore Neubauer medal:

[Hauptmann]

Pestalozzi medals:

[Hauptmann]

And my favorite so far...

I showed them in opposite ranking to how they would normally hang in order to show off the Fire medal.

Edited September 20, 2008 by Hauptman

[Hauptmann]

Edited September 20, 2008 by Hauptman

[Hauptmann]

And two that haven't arrived yet... coming in from England...

Ten Year Customs Medal:

Border Guard medal:

Dan :cheers:

[Grant Broadhurst]

Very nice bar Dan ! :jumping:

[nesredep]

And my favorite so far...

I showed them in opposite ranking to how they would normally hang in order to show off the Fire medal.

Hello!

Wow,very nice. :jumping:

All the best

Nesredep

[Hauptmann]

Hi all,

The Customs and Border Guard medals arrived yesterday and I just got the chance to do scans so here's some better shots of each:

Edited September 22, 2008 by Hauptman

[Hauptmann]

[Hauptmann]

Dan :cheers:

[Hauptmann]

Hi all,

Some new additions in the medal bars department. After seeing Grant's newest bar I couldn't resist! All pics are the sellers (Paul - lastfrontline on Ebay) and used with his kind permission.

So without further ado here we go:

A small bar but with my favorite type DDR medal in the lead and one of my other favorites bringing up the rear. :jumping:

[Hauptmann]

Next up, another of the same bar plus a second longer bar:

[Hauptmann]

And last but not least:

I'm going to have to count how many Banners der Arbeit I now have... quite a few I think... and this makes my third Border Guard medal in bronze as I'd just found one cased with the ribbon bar but I won't have pics of it till it arrives.

This also means I have the bronze and silver Fatherland medal as well as a Civil Defense medal I didn't have before. And also what looks like another early Polizei medal on the end of the bar.

But I think these still pale next to Grant's newest bar... I really love that one!

Thanks for looking!

Dan :cheers:

Edited October 22, 2008 by Hauptman

[Ulsterman]

Whoa! Nice stuff there.

Were Banners worn separately? How'd one get that as a border guard? I thought that was a labor decoration only. I always imagined someone with a spanner and overalls getting that medal-and apparatchiks too of course.

[Hauptmann]

Whoa! Nice stuff there.

Were Banners worn separately? How'd one get that as a border guard? I thought that was a labor decoration only. I always imagined someone with a spanner and overalls getting that medal-and apparatchiks too of course.

Hi Jeff,

Many many thanks! On the Banner, I think anyone there could be awarded one as as far as I know any work was considered labor as far as the DDR state was concerned... even working in the military, border guards, etc. But if someone has other info please post for the benefit and interest of all that are intro'd.

It's a shame they didn't number their awards so research could be performed. We'll never know the story behind the vast majority of what's out there unless it comes with the original documents and such. But they're still nice to look at!

Dan :cheers:

[Hauptmann]

And by the way... I'll post better scans once they arrive... should be here by early this coming week.

Dan :cheers:

[Hauptmann]

Okay... here's some better scans as they just arrived today.

[Hauptmann]

[Hauptmann]

[Hauptmann]

All have the earlier style pin clasp.

Dan :cheers:

[Gordon Craig]

Dan,

On your medal bar with the Banner der Arbeit, somone has added the Banner and done it incorrectly. Medals on the same bar never overlap in different ways.

Regards,

Gordon

[Hauptmann]

Dan,

On your medal bar with the Banner der Arbeit, somone has added the Banner and done it incorrectly. Medals on the same bar never overlap in different ways.

Regards,

Gordon

Hi Gordon,

No idea as it's the way it came to me. In these days there's no telling... could be a put together... but I did so well on these it wouldn't matter.

But many thanks for the info. Should I post photos of just that bar focusing on how the attachment has been made? Be happy to do so... just let me know.

Thanks again,

Dan :cheers:

[Taz]

On the Banner, I think anyone there could be awarded one as as far as I know any work was considered labor as far as the DDR state was concerned... even working in the military, border guards, etc. But if someone has other info please post for the benefit and interest of all that are intro'd.

Dan

Hi Dan,

Here is some info for you on the award critaria for the Banner der Arbeit

Award critaria

The Banner of Labour (Banner der Arbeit) was awarded for "outstanding achievements of many years which stabilized and strengthened the country, and in particular for high results of working in the national economy".

The order was established on August 4th, 1954 in one class.

On August 8th, 1974 it was divided into three classes. The 1st Class was the highest class and each class included a cash award:

• 1st Class: 1,000 East Marks, limited to 250 per year
• 2nd Class: 750 East Marks, limited to 500 per year
• 3rd Class: 500 East Marks, limited to 1,000 per year

For collectives with up to 20 members, there were cash awards of 2,000, 3,500 and 5,000 Marks per member.

The Banner of Labour was awarded to:

• Individuals and collectives in all three classes.
• Enterprises, Collective organizations (Kombinate), institutions and cooperatives in the 1st Class.

A prerequisite was that individuals and members of collectives already have received other state awards. The Order could be given in any class several times, even to citizens of other countries.

The awards ceremony took place each year on the 1st May and this order was presented by the Chairman of the State Council or on his behalf. A certificate was presented with the Order.

The medal is gilded, with dimensions of 44 x 37 mm. It is worn on the left chest. Establishments were entitled to include symbol of the Order on their flag as well as on documents.

Regards Eddie

[Gordon Craig]

Dan,

Taking more pictures won't help. I don't know how else to explain what I am trying to say. You have other medal bars and prehaps if you compare them with these two sets you will see the problem that way. Both bars have been played with but the one with the banner is the most obviously at fault because the medal ribbons do not over lap correctly. I am going to post two pictures of a medal bar that has been assembled correctly and not played with. It doesn't have a banner but that doesn't matter because all bars, regardless of what medals are on the bar are assembled in the same manner. I'll post the obverse first. Note how all the medal ribbons on the bar overlap the one next to it in exactly the same manner.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

Now for the reverse. Note that the brass bar in my photo is perfectly flat. There are no bents, dents or marks on the back. The kinks/bends and marks on your bar without the banner indicate that it has been disassembled at some point, probably more than once, and then put back together but not necessarily with the same medals. Before buying a medal bar you should always pay close attention to the condition of the back of the brass bar with the pin.